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Workers Comp Presentation – Four Easy Steps – My Secrets

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Workers Comp Presentation in Four Easy Steps

Do not let preparing a Workers Comp presentation, or any presentation cause you to stress over what will seem easy once you complete the task.   This is my secret to starting with a blank page/screen and having a nice, informative workers comp presentation.  These may sound like a little outside-of-the-box thinking.

workers comp presentations PowerPoint logo
(c) University of Texas and Microsoft – public use license

Understanding Microsoft PowerPoint

We have all heard the term death by PowerPoint.  Other than Apache Office (a free complete office system) the sources of software to use become sparse at best.  I have used Apache Office in the past with no problems.

I understand Microsoft PowerPoint somewhat.  I use it sparingly as I have many slides that I have reused over the last 25 years.  Yes, Workers Comp has changed very little over time.

How does one understand PowerPoint? YouTube has thousands of videos on PowerPoint.  Check out this search.   Some are over 4 hours, so time budgeting becomes critical.

Let us not forget the source of the software.  Any Microsoft Office software will always have internal training.  This method is how I learned to limitedly use it.  I open the internal training modules as I progress through creating and arranging slides.

Workers Comp Presentation Secret – Guy Kawasaki

I used to wring my hands, stress out, and become very nervous before a presentation.  Stress is a natural process – it makes you a better presenter.

Guy Kawasaki’s seminal book on entrepreneurship has a few chapters that one should read for any presentation.  The book is Lighting The Fire 2.0.   Avoiding Death by PowerPoint becomes simple when you use his book and suggestions.  I will cover three here.

  • Go short on time and use very few slides.  With the age of the smartphone and six-second attention spans, any time that you run over, people will dislike you.  I have seen that one act of going overboard on time ruin a great presentation.  People will thank you for going short rather than long.
  • Use pictures and get rid of the text.   I use this one every time I present anything.  People remember pictures.  Can you recall any text that someone presented – ever?  Even cartoons work but do not overdo them as they have been overused over the years.  If you have to use text, please DO NOT JUST READ IT.  You have entered the Death by PowerPoint zone when you start just reading your text.
  • My favorite one – shows that Guy Kawasaki is a genius.  Find out or estimate the age of the oldest person who will see your presentation text.  Divide their age by two.  This is the minimum-sized text you should ever use.   I usually use 40-point text.   Thanks for that one Guy.

Write An Outline Of Your Workers Comp Presentation

I know this one sounds very old school, but it works.  You need to be in contact with your muse. (See this article),   If you can find any presentations or articles similar to your Workers Comp Presentation subject, use this to get your mind rolling.   I never liked the brainstorming suggestion.

I usually use three to four-word ideas.  I then list them using paper and pen.  I have over 100 slides that I keep in a bank that I use often.  Sometimes, I have to create new slides.

Organize the ideas into groups.  Your muse is calling at this point.   Name the heading of each group.

Now convert your group headings into major slides – remember to use pics as much as possible.  Wikimedia Commons has hundreds of thousands of free pics if you credit the photographer.

Mind Blowing – Use Only 10 Slides

One of Kawasaki’s recommendations including the ones above is to use 10 slides maximum.  Why?  Because you are only going to use pics.  The preparation for this type of workers comp presentation will be more than normal.

At least you will not be reading text slides and making your audience ignore you after a few minutes.    You may not be able to reduce your presentation to 10 slides for a technical presentation.

Using this technique, I reduced my slides for a 50-minute presentation from 30 to 15.   Leaving time for questions will allow your audience to give immediate feedback and great questions.

I still remember for years later the text-based presentations or the ones that went well over their time slot. I did not have a good memory of either case.

If your Workers Comp presentation is stressing you, contact me for assistance.

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James J Moore - Workers Comp Expert

Raleigh, NC, United States

About The Author...

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc. in 1996. J&L’s mission is to reduce our clients’ Workers Compensation premiums by using time-tested techniques. J&L’s claims, premium, reserve and Experience Mod reviews have saved employers over $9.8 million in earned premiums over the last three years. J&L has saved numerous companies from bankruptcy proceedings as a result of insurance overpayments.

James has over 27 years of experience in insurance claims, audit, and underwriting, specializing in Workers’ Compensation. He has supervised, and managed the administration of Workers’ Compensation claims, and underwriting in over 45 states. His professional experience includes being the Director of Risk Management for the North Carolina School Boards Association. He created a very successful Workers’ Compensation Injury Rehabilitation Unit for school personnel.

James’s educational background, which centered on computer technology, culminated in earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA); an Associate in Claims designation (AIC); and an Associate in Risk Management designation (ARM). He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a licensed financial advisor. The NC Department of Insurance has certified him as an insurance instructor. He also possesses a Bachelors’ Degree in Actuarial Science.

LexisNexis has twice recognized his blog as one of the Top 25 Blogs on Workers’ Compensation. J&L has been listed in AM Best’s Preferred Providers Directory for Insurance Experts – Workers Compensation for over eight years. He recently won the prestigious Baucom Shine Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer contributions to the area of risk management and safety. James was recently named as an instructor for the prestigious Insurance Academy.

James is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the North Carolina Mid-State Safety Council. He has published two manuals on Workers’ Compensation and three different claims processing manuals. He has also written and has been quoted in numerous articles on reducing Workers’ Compensation costs for public and private employers. James publishes a weekly newsletter with 7,000 readers.

He currently possess press credentials and am invited to various national Workers Compensation conferences as a reporter.

James’s articles or interviews on Workers’ Compensation have appeared in the following publications or websites:

  • Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
  • Entrepreneur Magazine
  • Bloomberg Business News
  • WorkCompCentral.com
  • Claims Magazine
  • Risk & Insurance Magazine
  • Insurance Journal
  • Workers Compensation.com
  • LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites
  • Various trade publications

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